What can we learn from shamans’ dreaming? A cross-cultural exploration.
Charles D. Laughlin, Adam J. Rock
Dreaming December 1, 2014 DOI: 10.1037/a0038437 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key points | Argues that shamanism emerges in polyphasic cultures, which differ from modern monophasic, materialistic/technocratic societies in their treatment of dreams as veridical and culturally significant. Through cross-cultural examination of the shamanic call, initiation, and healing, the authors propose that core shamanism shapes dreaming, dream interpretation, and dream culture, and suggest that dreaming invites shamanism. |
Abstract
Shamanism is a worldwide social phenomenon consisting of a set of practices (e.g., ritualistic drumming, sensory deprivation, the ingestion of entheogens and dream incubation) designed to obtain knowledge from alternative realities for the purpose of benefiting one's social group. The aim of this paper is to provide a cross-cultural exploration of dreaming in the context of shamanism. We proceed by addressing 2 fundamental questions: What is meant by the terms shaman and shamanic principle, and what is the distinction between monophasic and polyphasic social groups with regards to the veridicality and cultural significance of dreams? It will be demonstrated that the kind of society in which shamanism arises (groups having polyphasic cultures) is quite different compared to modern materialistic/technocratic society (those having monophasic cultures). Subsequently, our cross-cultural investigation of shamanic dreaming focuses on the shamanic call, initiation and healing. Finally, we elucidate the major elements of core shamanism as they appear to influence dreaming, dream interpretation and dream culture, and suggest that in fact dreaming invites shamanism.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dreaming: a conceptual framework for philosophy of mind and empirical research | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Metaphor and hyperassociativity: the imagination mechanisms behind emotion assimilation in sleep and dreaming | 2015 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Varieties of Lucid Dreaming Experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Experimental Research on Dreaming: State of the Art and Neuropsychoanalytic Perspectives | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Neurobiology of Consciousness: Lucid Dreaming Wakes Up | 2009 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Religion, Altered States of Consciousness, and Social Change Review of Religious Research 1976
- Altered States of Consciousness within a General Evolutionary Perspective: A Holocultural Analysis Behavior Science Research August 1, 1977
- Does the Concept of “Altered States of Consciousness” Rest on a Mistake? International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 2007
- Individualist Religious Movements: Core and Neo‐shamanism Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2004
- The Essence of Transpersonal Psychology Contemporary Views International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 2002
and 3 more in the library